At trial, Lonte Alston claimed he shot Chris Falcon in self-defense. Alston, 47, was sentenced Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Falcon, 52, died the day after he was shot.
The Henderson Dispatch reported that the nearly weeklong trial concerned a shooting at a house in May 2022. Alston had visited the home, where his sister lived with Falcon, and spent the evening drinking with them and another woman, the newspaper reported.
Conflicting Accounts of What Happened That Night
Alston testified that Falcon came home angry and approached him with a knife raised. He said he fired a warning shot into the floor and then shot Falcon, but did not intend to kill him. The state argued that Alston pushed his sister out of the way. Alston said the dispute began when he poured himself some of Falcon’s liquor. He testified that he left town because he was scared and turned himself in six days after the shooting, after consulting an attorney.
The defense maintained that Alston acted in self-defense, describing Falcon as violent and drunk and saying Alston had arrived in a good mood to party. Defense attorneys also argued that investigators should have collected a knife found at the scene as evidence.
Prosecutors disputed Alston’s account, saying there was no warning shot or knife attack. They pointed to the absence of a bullet hole in the floor where Alston said he had fired and argued that the knife investigators found near a mat appeared to have been used for its ordinary purpose, not as a weapon against him.
Sister's Statements Became Central to the Case
Alston’s sister reported the shooting. Prosecutors noted that she did not mention a knife attack when calling law enforcement or when later asked whether she had a weapon. A recording made in a police vehicle captured her saying, “you can't tell [Alston] anything.” She also told investigators that her “baby momma” no longer associated with Alston because he had pulled a gun on her before. Prosecutors cited gunpowder found on the sister as evidence that she was near the shooting.
Prosecutors argued that Falcon had told Alston he would not take over the home and that Falcon had a separate home on Welcome Avenue. They also said Alston was known to pull a gun when he heard things he did not like. The state contended that Alston’s account did not show the kind of perceived necessity for using deadly force that would support his self-defense claim.
Arguments Over Intent and Premeditation
The prosecution argued that the evidence established the intent, premeditation and malice required for first-degree murder. It said intent could be inferred from the circumstances and could form in an instant, including between gunshots; malice, it argued, meant an intent to take a life, not necessarily ill will.
The defense countered that the state had shown neither premeditation nor intent. After weighing the competing accounts and arguments during the weeklong trial, jurors found Alston guilty of first-degree murder.
The Dispatch also reported that Alston had a criminal record largely consisting of misdemeanors, including prior charges for assault with a deadly weapon in 2020 and assault by pointing a gun in 2015. North Carolina law classifies first-degree murder as a Class A felony, and under the state's criminal statute, those convicted face punishment by death or life without parole, according to North Carolina General Assembly records. Alston was sentenced to the latter.
North Carolina’s sentencing and self-defense laws
North Carolina law authorizes either death or life imprisonment without parole for first-degree murder. In a noncapital case where the state did not give notice before trial that it would seek the death penalty, the court must impose life imprisonment after a first-degree murder conviction, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. Alston received life without parole rather than the capital sentence. North Carolina law permits deadly force in self-defense when a person reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another, subject to the statute’s conditions, according to the General Assembly. The jury’s verdict reflected its assessment of Alston’s claim under the law.
